Commentary

Details of HENRY BOWER

Born: 1812

Died: 1885

Source: SPG Missionary (Rev Frank Perry, The Church In Madras 1904)

Biography: HENRY BOWER was born in Madras in 1812, and was a Eurasian. He was educated at the Vepery Seminary, and was under the Rev. John Heavyside during the last two years of his school days. He was employed as a catechist for several years after leaving school by the Wesleyan Missionary Society. He was ordained deacon in 1848,and priest in 1845. He was a clear-headed thinker and was able to grasp difficult philosophic reasonings with a quickness and ease which were remarkable. Languages came easily to him; but he devoted his attention specially to literary Tamil, in order to present to the educated Brahmins who spoke that language the arguments of Christian theologians and philosophers who had written in explanation or in defence of the Christian religion. His principal stations were Tanjore, 1844-46; Vediarpuram, 1846-57; Madras, 1857-75; Combaconum, 1875-78; Madras, 1878-84, when he was pensioned . At all these stations he was in daily contact with educated men of the Brahmin caste. For their benefit he translated into Tamil Butler's Analogy. Then followed a translation of Pearson on the Creed, a Biblical and Theological Dictionary, Lectures on the Moral Law, the History oj Christianity in India, and other works. In 1857 Bishop Dealtry summoned him to Madras and put him in charge of St. Paul's at Vepery, a large and important parish. This was done in order to make use of his knowledge and literary skill in the revision of the Tamil Bible and Prayer Book. When this work was completed in 1872 he received from the Archbishop of Canterbury the degree of D.D.on the recommenda tion of Bishop Gell. In 1884 he retired from active work, and he died the following year at Palamcottah..